Project Connect Goes Mobile in Bend
Every fall, Project Connect is held at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds. But during that event, there’s many people still unable to get the help they need.
So Project Connect is going mobile, to bring many services to communities throughout the region.
Their first stop was in Redmond. On Sunday, the doors opened at the Bend City Hall, where they again served those in need.
Many people were served free medical and dental care, legal aid, clothing, food, and immunization shots. Today’s event served all that and more.
Cindy Pasko, the director of community services for the Partnership to End Poverty, said such events benefit everyone in the community.
“It is successful, because we are able to give out of our personal abundance of our time, out of our hearts,” Pasko said. “It is successful for people coming to get these services, and that perhaps in small ways or large ways, we are able to help them stabilize in their life or relieve some of their pain.”
Hosted by the Central Oregon Council on Aging, 58 people were served at the Redmond Senior Center event in mid-February with free medical, dental, legal aid, identification, mental health, clothing, food, immunizations, and/or additional medical appointments. Free Store provided clothing, and Jericho Table partnered to provide hot meals with COCOA. City Care Clinic provided additional clinic appointments.
Health navigators, from Health Matters, will be working throughout the coming year with those guests who signed up. Health Matters provides medical navigators who work with guests to meet health needs on an ongoing basis. The assistance is free with the service, such as glasses, being low or no cost. The navigators also connect the guests with additional services such as housing, transportation, and other life needs.
Project Mobile Connect is a collaborative venture of The Partnership to End Poverty, United Way of Deschutes County and Oregon Community Foundation. It is designed to be a portal to ongoing services during these times of extraordinary need. All services are free and each host site and community is providing additional volunteers and services.
The Project will be traveling to the following Central Oregon locations:
– River Woods Church, Bend, May 6th;
– Sisters Community Church, Sisters, May 27th,
– Three Rivers Elementary School, Sunriver, June 24th,
– La Pine Community Kitchen, La Pine, July 8th.
Project Mobile Connect is also partnering with the May 14th Prineville Connect, and the August 6th Madras Connect.
In addition to The Partnership to End Poverty and United Way, other partnering agencies providing volunteers and/or services for every Project Mobile Connect are: Oregon Community Foundation, J.G. Edwards Fund, St. Charles Health Systems of Bend, Deschutes County, Northwest Medical Teams International Dental Van, Health Matters of Central Oregon, Bank of the Cascades, Legal Aid of Oregon, Oregon State Public Health Preparedness, Healthy Beginnings, local clinics, Latino Community Association, and Deschutes County Health Department.
